Turtle Wax, a global name in the car care industry, entered the Indian market this year. With its aggressive plans and the ongoing demand for car care products, the company aims at becoming one of the largest care car product suppliers in Doing It Yourself (DIY) segment, besides, establishing a strong presence in Do-It-For-Me (DIFM) space.

According to Sajan Murali Puravangara, Country Manager and Director, Turtle Wax India, the car care industry is an integral part of the automotive industry, and changing buying preference from the mileage, and low maintenance to aesthetics, safety, comfort and features are fuelling demand for car care products.

“India has been witnessing good growth in car sales in last decade, whereas in the last five years, we see traction in the car care industry on account of changing trends or reasons to buy a car. In recent years, the way people look at the car has changed. They buy cars for the looks and features, and that also led to an interest to keep their cars new, tidy and clean; this is bringing demand for car care products. The interest is also coming from the mass car segment. In the last two years, we are getting the indication that the car care industry will be the next sunshine industry in the future,” explained Puravangara.

Turtle Wax, a family-owned company, has been in the car care business for nearly 75 years and operates in over 120 countries. Before establishing its third subsidiary in India, the company has been operating with two subsidiaries- the US and Europe.

India has a population over 1.3 billion and only 22 people out of a thousand own car, while in the US and UK, 980 and 850 per 1,000 individuals have a car, respectively. The massive headroom for the car segment in the next one-and-a-half-decade will trigger further growth for the car care segment in the long term, opines Puravangara.

According to a research report, the current car care industry in India is slightly less than one billion USD and expected to reach $1.44 billion in 2027. Explaining the growth factors, the report says, people usually keep their cars for more than seven years in India, and hence car care products are being increasingly used to restore the paint and for detailing and interiors. Along with this, many car care product manufacturers from Europe and North American markets have their presence in India through e-commerce websites and strong dealership networks. The same report adds that by 2027, the interior car care product segment will be around of $0.73 billion, while the exterior car product market will grow to USD 0.7 billion.

Consumer behaviour, cheap labour, and lack of necessary know-how make the Indian car care industry more challenging for the companies to operate in the DIY space.

In western countries, cars are a part of the family, and family members take basic care. In the US and other developed countries, the DIY segment is about 80 percent of the total car care industry; however, in India, it is of around 30 percent. “In countries like India, due to the hectic work schedule and cheap labour, DIFM dominates in the car care segment. There is always a third person to take basic care of cars in India. Coupled with this, the know-how is fairly lower in India when it comes to basic things such what wax can do to your car and what are the ways to protect cars’ interior and exterior,” Puravangara said.

However, the pandemic in the last eight months has proven useful for the car care segment. “We have seen momentum in the DIY business in the last six months. Since people have been at home, they have a lot of time at their disposal. They find time to take care of their cars. We are also seeing people are increasingly enquiring on different social media platforms on how to take care of their cars and sharing other issues,” he said.

As a part of the strategy to penetrate its products, the company will heavily focus on educating consumers on primary car care and the company’s products. “Being a global leader in the car care industry, it is our top priority to educate people on car care, know-how and our product usages and benefits.”

In the next three to four months, the company will start campaigns on social media channels. The campaign will invite consumers with their queries or to share their experience and issues.

“The company will also bring out videos on how to use our products and use the social influencers on YouTube and Instagram,” Puravangara said.

Though India is seeing a growing number of women behind in the wheel, the car care industry is yet to consider women as their potential customers. However, Turtle Wax understands the role of women in the overall automotive industry and expects the growing number of women car owners evidently will reflect in the car care industry.

To widen its customer base, the company will also promote the car wash as a family celebration where family members will take participate in washing, cleaning and taking care of the car. “Washing and cleaning cars is a family affair in many countries, and therefore the company will be promoting the same in India as well,” added he.

However, external factors that also possess further challenges for car care products. Considering vast territories, different weather, pollutions and scarcity and quality of water put car care product performance under severe pressure. Keeping the external challenges in mind, the company plans to bring in products that are suitable to the Indian markets.

“A larger challenge is not only the availability of water but the hard water which leaves marks on the car. Coupled with this, extreme temperature and dust and pollution affect the car. We are bringing in the products that will take care of cars in the Indian environment. We have asked the company to make products suitable for the Indian market,” said the executive.

Currently, the company offers the products required to clean, shine and protect the car inside out. The product portfolio includes shampoo to clean, wax to shine and various interior cleaners in the form of foam and liquid to clean the interiors of the car. It also offers various speciality products like trim restorer, chrome polish, headlight lens restorer, Odor-X Odor removing solutions, etc. to address specific car care requirements. Turtle Wax also has a ceramic coating that has 10H hardness which gives the high gloss, ultra-hydrophobicity, extreme chemical resistance, UV protection and easy cleaning properties. The company plans to bring in graphene-based ceramic coating solutions, which is the new technology in the car care industry.

The company is planning to bring 75th-anniversary Ceramic Paste Wax in Q1 2021, and will also introduce windshield washer fluid shortly in India. Other products from the company for the India market include all-metal polish that polishes all metal surfaces of the car’s exterior; Glass cleaner to keep the glass streak-free during the ride; ClearVue Rain Repellent that helps get better visibility during the monsoon rains; Trim Restorer since the Trims fades here in India more than the rest of the world and Windscreen washer fluid to remove the dirt and grime from the windshield glass.

The company will also introduce waterless washing products that cater to areas where water is scarce. The company’s waterless wash and wax has advanced polymer technology that lifts dirt to prevent starching, while the enriched wax gives a shiny and protective finish. Its rain repellent formula prevents watermarks and extends time in between cleaning.

The company will also bring in its Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions ICE Seal N Shine, premium car paint sealant. The ICE Seal N Shine gives the car a layer of super-hydrophobic silicone for up to six months of protection against streaks, scratches and swirls.

To set up its network, the company will go through a distribution route and for which it has selected 23 cities, which have larger car density. Turtle Wax India is appointing own distributors in these cities who will take care of retailers and workshops. It has also identified another 48 towns in which it will supply products to dealers who will provide the products in the respective markets.

“We will have our main presence in all metro cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, and additional upcoming cities like Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Cochin, Surat etc,” he added.

The company plans to have about 10,000 outlets by the end of next June. Turtle Wax India has also set up the car care studios in Pune, Bangalore and New Delhi. The studio will be not based on a franchise concept; instead, it will be a co-branded activity. “We provide our products and branding support, but the studios also keep their brand identity,” he said. The company also has plants to have such studios in its 23 cities.

Puravangara declined to share the current revenue and future commercial targets but said sales numbers are increasing with each passing month. Currently, the company is importing its products from global subsidiaries, but he said the company will have a look into setting up local production capabilities. “The way it is going, we will have to do something locally as well. I don’t think we will be able to manage (the demand) with our global support when the demand goes up,” he said.

The company is looking for an option of re-packaging under which it will get bulk products and repack for the domestic market. “We will also see if some India oriented products will be manufactured here, completely. Those options are quite open,” he added.

Many Indians are using hair shampoo sachets to wash cars. When asked whether the company is looking to introduce car wash shampoo in sachets, he said it will not look into sachet option but will be looking to have a bottle of 100 to 200 ml. “We are still looking at those options of small bottles, but per wash, cost increases with smaller bottles,” he added.

Talking on the challenges, he said, it is on finalising the complete product portfolio that suits to the rapidly changing requirements of the Indian market. “We need to keep reinventing on products to be a leader in the market,” he concluded. (MT)

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Hyundai Motor Group, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) have entered a trilateral strategic partnership to develop a high-skilled technical workforce in Vietnam.

Signed in late April 2026, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a training ecosystem designed to support Vietnam’s rapidly industrialising automotive sector.

The program, scheduled to run from the second half of 2026 through 2031, aims to create a ‘virtuous cycle’ by bridging the gap between vocational education and active industrial careers.

The partnership leverages the unique strengths of each signatory to ensure graduates are production-ready from day one:

• Curriculum & Expertise: Hyundai Motor Group will lead the design of the curriculum, focusing on hands-on manufacturing disciplines including die-casting, press forming and welding.
• Governance & Operations: KOICA will oversee the broader program management and technical training modules.
• Administrative Support: MOET will coordinate the program through its network of vocational training institutions across Vietnam.

Upon completion, graduates will be directly connected with employment opportunities at small and medium-sized component manufacturers operating within Vietnam, addressing a critical labour shortage in the regional supply chain.

Vietnam is a cornerstone of Hyundai Motor Group’s ASEAN strategy. The Group operates the Hyundai Thanh Cong Vietnam Auto Manufacturing Corporation (HTMV) joint venture, which recently expanded with a second plant in Ninh Binh.

Sung Kim, President of Hyundai Motor Group, said, "Vietnam's automotive market is growing fast, and the demand for skilled professionals is growing with it. We aim to give Vietnamese students real educational opportunities and build a virtuous cycle from classroom to career."

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The German Association of Suppliers (ArGeZ), an interest group representing approximately 9,000 suppliers and supported by several industry associations, has reported that the domestic automotive supplier industry remains trapped in a deep structural crisis with no economic recovery in sight. Weak order intake, rising operational costs and mounting international competitive pressure continue to threaten industrial resilience and value chain stability.

This prolonged crisis extended into 2025, marked by a 1.1 percent drop in revenue and a 1.0 percent fall in production, the fourth consecutive annual decline. Excluding a temporary recovery in 2021, the sector has faced a structural downturn since 2019. Employment fell by 3.4 percent year-on-year in 2025, with growing job cuts underscoring the weakening state of German suppliers.

The first two months of 2026 offered no turnaround. Employment kept falling by another 3.4 percent, and production decreased by 0.4 percent. The ifo Business Climate Index for German suppliers plunged from -14.4 points in February to -24.1 points in March 2026, ending any hesitant stabilisation. ArGeZ spokesperson Christian Vietmeyer noted that only about one in ten suppliers rates their current situation as good, while just 16 percent expect improvement in the next six months.

Weak demand from key customer sectors remains the principal cause, with order intake too volatile for sustainable stabilisation. Geopolitical tensions, trade policy uncertainties and rising energy prices are compounding difficulties. International competitive pressure is increasing, as imports of iron and steel products rose about 10 percent in 2025, with even stronger growth for numerous automotive parts.

The German government is still expected to deliver bold economic transformation. High labour costs are forcing suppliers out of business and driving production shifts abroad. ArGeZ calls for longer working hours, curbing sick-leave absenteeism by abolishing phone-based sick notes and reducing non-wage labour costs to a maximum of 40 percent. Dr Martin Theuringer, Managing Director of the German Foundry Industry Association, stated that supplier management repeatedly invests in foreign plants instead of German locations, leading to a slow bleeding out of the industry.

Promised energy price reductions have not materialised. Many suppliers are excluded from electricity tax cuts. For small and medium-sized enterprises, gas prices are burdened by a national CO₂ price higher than the EU Emissions Trading System price. ArGeZ demands suspending the national CO₂ price until the European small-installation price (ETS 2) is introduced. The EU’s proposed ‘Made in Europe’ label is a step forward but must avoid bureaucracy, and technological openness beyond 2035 remains essential.

Regarding the expected introduction of the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (ELVR) this summer, Michael Weigelt has demanded that the competitiveness of secondary materials be guaranteed. He called for streamlined, low-bureaucracy processes and energy cost relief for recycling companies, because only economically viable recyclates will enable international competitiveness.

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TIP Group has signed a new agreement with Verdis to supply modern, environmentally efficient waste-collection vehicles for the company’s expanding operations in Malmö. The deal includes 16 garbage trucks, featuring 12 NTM Quatro four‑compartment bodies and four NTM KG‑HL single‑compartment bodies, all mounted on Scania CNG L340 6x2 chassis.

The collaboration provides Verdis with a future‑ready fleet without major upfront investment, ensuring predictable costs and financial flexibility. TIP will deliver full‑service fleet support, managing all maintenance and lifecycle performance to guarantee strong uptime and efficient operations. This marks the beginning of a reliable partnership for waste management solutions across Sweden.

By combining modern equipment with comprehensive lifecycle care, TIP reinforces its growing role as a trusted partner in the Nordic waste management sector. The agreement allows Verdis to focus entirely on delivering high‑quality collection services while scaling capacity as operational needs change.

Christian Petersen, VP & Managing Director, Nordic at TIP Group, said, “We are proud to support Verdis with a future-proof, environmentally conscious fleet solution. This agreement highlights our capability within waste management equipment and reflects TIP’s broader role as a strong partner for heavy transport equipment across many sectors.”

Per-Eric Bjurenborg, VD from Verdis, said, “For us, the partnership with TIP Group brings real stability and efficiency to our daily operations. Their comprehensive support package reduces administrative complexity and gives us peace of mind in a sector where reliability is critical. This allows us to stay focused on providing the best possible service to the municipalities we serve.”

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Orion S.A. is preparing to demonstrate the role of its speciality carbon blacks in advancing sustainability, high-jet performance and electrical conductivity within coatings systems. The global speciality chemicals company will make these presentations at the 2026 American Coatings Show + Conference, scheduled for 5–7 May in Indianapolis.

Visitors to Orion’s Booth 1466 will be directed to three key product lines. The first is ECOLAR 50 POWDER, a bio-circular feedstock-based carbon black that has previously won industry awards. The company is also featuring COLOUR BLACK FW 310 and COLOUR BLACK FW 255, two grades recognised for their exceptional jetness in both waterborne and solvent-borne formulations. Beyond product displays, Orion will offer technical guidance on achieving effective dispersion of speciality carbon blacks in electrically conductive coating systems.

ECOLAR 50 POWDER functions as a low to medium furnace black, delivering medium jetness in mass tone applications alongside reliable tinting strength. Meanwhile, the FW 310 and FW 255 grades rank among the deepest black pigments available for automotive coatings, producing a clean and elegant finish. FW 310 achieves Orion’s highest jetness levels with a deep blue undertone, making it suitable for automotive OEM basecoats, refinish coatings and premium industrial uses. FW 255 is engineered for automotive OEM and refinish systems, providing very high jetness and a similar blue undertone in both solvent-borne and waterborne environments. An additional after-treatment step enhances its wetting and dispersion properties.

A technical presentation by Orion’s Jaelene Matos, North American Technical Marketing Manager for Coatings Systems, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on 6 May. Her talk will examine how the dispersion process influences the final conductive properties of new specialty conductive carbon blacks in waterborne and solvent-borne coating systems. The discussion will cover the fundamental role of carbon black in conductive coatings, as well as the effects of dispersion method, processing time and dosage on conductive performance. Matos will also compare the conductive behaviour of medium and high conductive carbon black grades across different coating system types.

Zack Hays, Marketing Manager for Coatings and Printing Systems in North America, Orion, said, “The colouristic properties of ECOLAR 50 POWDER compare favourably with traditional specialty carbon blacks across a broad range of coatings systems and applications, with the added benefit that it contains 100 percent biogenic raw material per 14C analysis. Since we officially launched ECOLAR 50 POWDER last year, industry response has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re very proud of introducing an industry-leading?  100 percent bio-based carbon black, and we look forward to helping our customers produce truly sustainable products, contribute to a healthier planet and promote a more circular economy.”

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